The New Boy
by spooksfan08
Summary: Joe left Child Protection to become a DS with MIU. Has he bitten off more than he can chew? Will Ronnie and the others be able to help him settle in when a violent crime rocks the comminity and can the CPS bring the right man to justice? All characters from series 1 onwards may appear.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer I do not own Law and Order Uk. All copyright belongs to KUDOS, ITV and Dick Wolf. No copyright infringement is intended nor should be inferred. Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last L&O UK stories.**

**The New Boy**

He stared in the bathroom mirror wondering if had made the right decision. The promotion had been fantastic, he had wanted to be a DS for as long as he could remember. Leaving the Child Protection Unit hadn't been a difficult decision - for his own sanity he knew he had to move on. Three years in one of the most stressful areas of the police force had been enough. Now replacing DS Casey in MIU suddenly seemed like the worst decision he had made in a long time. Shaking his head he grabbed a towel and tried to put the feeling in the pit of his stomach down to nerves.

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"Ronnie." Natalie walked across the office of MIU as he placed his glasses back on the desk. "You're early."

"Yeah." He nodded. "Early bird and all that rubbish." He shrugged as he looked at the mess of paperwork covering not only his desk but Matt's and Angie's too.

"New boy starts today. He'll be partnering Angie but I want you to make him feel welcome, Ron."

"Me? Course I will." He shook his head. "Don't see why Sam had to up sticks anyway. Thought he had settled 'ere."

"He had." Natalie knew they were going to have a rehash of the conversation they had when they were sat together in the corner of the bar at Sam Casey's leaving do. "It's promotion."

"You were promoted. You're still 'ere."

"Only because no one else will put up with you lot." She watched as his eyes widened. "And Wes does my old job while I am trying to keep the big wigs happy. Sam wanted to be a DI. He'll be good at it and he wanted houts that meant he can be with his boy more. You have to understand that."

"Yeah." He nodded. "I do, should have done the same at his age, when my girls were little."

"We can't go back Ron." She folded her arms. "And the others, including Joe will be here soon. Cheer up." She touched his face before walking back to her office. Ronnie shook his head, wondering if his DCI would really be the death of him one day.

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"Angie, Matt." Joe smiled as he walked in. Matt shook his hand warmly as Ronnie walked back from the kettle. Wes stood next to the worried looking new boy.

"Heard you came from Child Protection." Matt smiled. "Could never work there."

"Yeah." Joe shrugged "It isn't for everyone. I needed a break."

"And this is it." Wes took a mug of coffee from Ronnie. "Not that we are exactly a cushy number. Major Incident Unit is twenty four hours. Like me and Natalie told you at the interview."

"You also said there was a state of the art filing system." Joe raised an eyebrow as he looked at the files strewn over the three desks. Angie smirked.

"Yeah, well lets just say that is a work in progress." Wes took his coffee and headed towards Natalie's office. "Oh and Ron?"

"Yes Guv." Ron closed his eyes.

"McMaster's reports?"

"On your desk."

"As long as it is and not under that pile." Wes laughed at the look of horror on Matt and Ronnie's faces. Joe shrugged his jacket off and sat at his new desk, knowing he was going to have to work hard to fit into such a clse knit team.

"Joe." Angie smiled at him. "Stop worrying." He looked up and nodded, knowing she was right.

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a/N More soon, yep there will be case. And we will see the CPS team too. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer not mine**

**Meet and Greet**

"Henry is going to have a fit." Kate shook her head as the paperwork on her desk began to resemble a small mountain. "Alesha, it is not funny."

"No it isn't." Alesha smiled slightly. "Henry is a big softie. Just be glad George Castle isn't looking for your report."

"He isn't so bad." Kate turned to see Jake in the doorway, holding the file she had spent the last hour trying to find.

"Looking for this?" He smirked as she narrowed her eyes.

"The McCallister report." She snapped. "You knew I was looking for it."

"No I didn't. Don't be churlish." He smirked as Alesha raised her eyebrows.

"Now now, children. The report is safe. Isn't that all that matters?" She tried to placate the new girl and the Crown prosecutor. Jake just seemed to enjoy teasing the young blonde woman.

"Alesha." She took a deep breath as James appeared. "We are wanted in Chambers."

"Aren't we always?" She smiled slightly before following James along the corridor, knowing that in less than an hour she would be facing down a violent killer while hoping the jury believed them. Kate watched the pair go as Jake crossed the room to her.

"You knew I was looking for that." She took the file from his hands. Jake nodded once.

"I did. Guilty as charged." He held her gaze for a moment. "Kate." She felt her pulse quicken as he touched her hair, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. His finger traced the scar left by the attack of less than six months earlier.

"I know." She smiled up at him. In work he was still her senior, but at home things were very different.

"I didn't mean to make you worry." He smiled at her as she held his gaze. "I just pulled the file this morning. I wanted to check everything was in place before we get to court. You know how Henry is."

"I know how he is." Kate sighed. "But you could have saved me an hour if you had mentioned it this morning. We did have breakfast together." She smiled as she squeezed his hand, turning at the sound of the office door opening.

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"They're ok." Ronnie started as Joe followed him into the offices of the Crown Prosecution Service. "James and Jake are a bit straight-laced. You know, by the book. Only sometimes I wonder which book." He smiled to himself, remembering the times when the men hadn't broken the rules, just interpreted them in a new way. "James Steel works mainly with Alesha Devlin."

"Devlin?"

"Yeah." Ronnie nodded. "She's married to Matt. They got a kid, Cameron. He's almost two now. Smashing little fella." Joe frowned slightly, wondering how the team he had worked with for almost three years had known so little about each other whereas these officers and their contacts at the CPS were almost like family. "Jake Thorn - that's who we're gonna see today works with Kate Barker."

"I've heard that name. Didn't she used to work on the other side?"

"A defence barrister? Yeah. She jumped ship. Reckon she's settled in ok." He reached the office as Joe raised an eyebrow. To him it seemed almost impossible to change allegiance in such a way. He stayed slightly behind Ronnie as he pushed the office door open. "Sorry. Are we interrupting?" Ronnie asked innocently as the couple sprang apart.

"No." Jake smirked as Kate turned her back for a moment.

"Thought I'd introduce you to our Joe." He paused. "Kate Barker, Jacob Thorn meet our new DS. Joe Hawkins."

"Nice to meet you." Kate smiled as Jake shook his hand.

"Welcome to the madhouse." Jake answered. "Ronnie, have you gone through the McAllister case with Joe?"

"No, but Matt and Angie will be there so don't worry."

"And Sam?" Kate turned to face them.

"Has gone." Ronnie paused. "I rang him last night. He knows what time to be there. He wont let us down."

"Good." Jake watched the younger man as Ronnie spoke. It was clear the new DS was nervous. He could remember how it felt to be the new boy at the CPS and didn't envy Joe at all. The team was tight knit, and they had needed to be over the years. Sam leaving had been unsettling, but they had survived worse. He wondered how much Joe knew. He had a feeling if he knew about Matt's shooting, Ronnie's drinking, Natalie and Alesha being attacked and Kate's sister serving time for her attempted murder he may have decided to stay in Child Protection. "I have a meeting with George and Henry. Good to meet you Joe." He nodded to the younger man before leaving the room. Kate bit her lip as Ronnie smiled at her.

"Things ok with you two?"

"Yeah." Kate blushed furiously.

"And Beth?"

"No contact. I tried but she sent my letter back." Kate looked at the floor. Ronnie knew she had forgiven her older sister a long time ago. Joe frowned, wondering what had happened that he didn't know about. "Any luck with the body in the car?" She knew deflecting attention back to the current case was the best thing she could do to deflect attention away from her fledgling relationship with Jake. Even though she knew Ronnie was happy for them she didn't want the rest of the CPS finding out just yet.

"No. Joy is working on getting us an ID." He paused. Joe dug in his pocket as his phone began to ring. Eminem blasted from the small phone as Joe took the call. "Dear me, that's gonna 'av to go." Ronnie shook his head. Kate laughed, hoping he was only referring to the ring tone.

"Ronnie." Joe turned back to him. "That was Claire at the lab. We have an ID."

"Right, well come on then." Ronnie ushered the younger man out of the room. "See you later." He called to Kate as she watched them go, wondering whether the new boy would be a permanent fixture.

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A/N Filler chapter. More soon x


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer not mine. Short update. Please review. **

**Identity**

Joe sat at his desk staring into space. He had been thrown in the deep end when he joined MIU and he wasn't too sure if he was sinking or swimming. He looked up as Angie approached. She smiled slightly before picking up her coffee mug.

"You ok?" She sat in Matt's abandoned chair.

"How long have you worked here?"

"Since the beginning, almost. I replaced a girl that was murdered. It's a long story." She sighed. "It's a good team. Wes is relatively new too. So don't worry."

"Wes?"

"He hasn't been our DI for long. Natalie was before him, then she got promoted to DCI and had to go part time for a while. Her mum has been very ill. Passed away a few months back."

"I had no idea." Joe looked at the floor. "That's awful."

"It was a rough time. I think Ronnie looked out for her more than any of us did. It's funny. You just always expect her to be there. She's always the one looking out for us."

"More like a mum than a boss?"

"Don't let her hear you say that." Angie smiled as she picked up her mug. "You'll settle in."

"Hope so." Joe smiled back. "Look, Ronnie said something about Matt being married to a girl in the CPS."

"That's right. Alesha. You've met her."

"Oh right. So let me get this straight." Joe paused. "Matt and Alesha are married. James is living with that Irish girl."

"Bea McCardle. She's a defence barrister. Opposites attract I suppose." Angie smiled over her coffee mug as Joe smirked. Joe shrugged his shoulders as he watched her.

"So? Ronnie and the Guv. There is something going on there."

"Don't go there." Angie paused.

"Oh come on. Have you seen them together?"

"Yeah." Angie looked down. "Of course I have."

"There is something there."

"Leave it."

"Why?"

"Just because she's the Guv and Ronnie is Ronnie."

"And?"

"And what, son?" Joe cringed as he heard Ronnie behind him. "Don' t mind me, only Joy has phoned. Wants to see us. Little thing called a post-mortem result. You know? On the poor bugger that was found dead less than twenty-four hours ago?"

"Yeah." Joe took a deep breath. "Sorry. I."

"Coppers are gossips. I know that more than most. Only right you want to know a bit about your team." Ronnie stated calmly. "Come on, Joy doesn't usually live up to her name."

"Where's Matt?" Angie asked as both men prepared to leave.

"With Alesha and Cameron I bet." Ronnie smiled as he thought of the young couple he considered family. "Come on Sunshine. I wanna get this over with an all." He ushered the younger man out of the office as Angie turned back to the computer.

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Alesha curled on the sofa with Lucky at her heels. Cameron slept peacefully as Matt walked into the living room, hair messy and clad in pyjama bottoms.

"You ok?" Alesha looked up as Matt smiled at her.

"Yeah."

"Long day." Alesha sighed. "I think my feet are going to be killing me for days." Matt took the hint, picking both her feet up and began massaging them.

"Better?"

"Keep going. I'll let you know." She smiled as Matt raised an eyebrow before returning his attention to her feet.

"Ok."

"How's the new boy settling in?" Angie asked as Matt looked up.

"You are asking me about Joe Hawkings now? I am obviously doing something wrong here."

"Matt?"

He stilled his hands. "Ok I think. Ronnie text me earlier, says he'll be ok. Got some settling down to do first."

"He said that about you. When you first started." Alesha closed her eyes as Matt stared at her. "He'll be ok. He's got you, Ronnie and the others looking out for him."

"Yeah." Matt turned back to his task. "Yeah I reckon he will."

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A/N More soon. Please review.


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